St. Louis to host 2026 US Figure Skating Championships

Published: Dec. 16, 2024 at 10:13 AM CST|Updated: Dec. 16, 2024 at 2:46 PM CST
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ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Matrix Midwest) - St. Louis will once again host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the St. Louis Sports Commission and Enterprise Center announced.

After 20 years, the competition will return as the most premiere skaters in the country prepare for the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026.

“St. Louis is America’s first Olympic city, and our legacy as a sports town cannot be denied,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “We can’t wait to welcome America’s Olympic hopefuls and figure skating fans from across the country to our beautiful city. See you in 2026!”

From January 5 to 11, 2026, Enterprise Center attendees can watch skaters compete on their road to the Olympics.

“It has been at the top of our list to bring the U.S. Figure Skating Championships back to St. Louis, so we are absolutely ecstatic to be hosting the event in 2026 and grateful to U.S. Figure Skating for the opportunity,” said Sports Commission President Marc Schreiber. “As America’s first Olympic city, it’s especially meaningful for St. Louis to be the Championships’ site in an Olympic year and be able to cheer on our nation’s top figure skaters just weeks before the Winter Games. We look forward to working with our colleagues at Enterprise Center and U.S. Figure Skating to produce an outstanding event and a fabulous experience for the athletes, officials, and fans.”

Tickets are set to go on-sale in January.

Several young athletes and coaches from the Creve Coeur Figure Skating Club attended Monday’s announcement, too, excited about the prospect of seeing Olympic contenders in St. Louis.

Alexis Roberts, a 16-year-old figure skater, said she felt St. Louis was often overlooked for hosting major events.

“It’s an amazing place with so much to offer here, so it’s amazing, especially in an Olympic year,” she said. “I’m so excited that St. Louis was the city that got chosen.”

Neal Richardson, the president of the St. Louis Development Corporation, said that one incentive for US figure skating was a newly established $500,000 backstop fund, created as a way to lure major events such as this one. The fund would potentially reimburse organizations for losses from major events in the city.

Richardson said the city was also planning major infrastructure projects downtown in the next few months, and added that the demolition of the Railway Exchange Building’s parking garage would help to improve vibrancy and public safety downtown.

“We want to make sure when people come to St. Louis, they see vibrancy and action, they see tourists walking around, excited about the city. They see residents with their families enjoying downtown and the greatness that it is,” Richardson said.

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